The wet nurse and shepherd group is one of the traditional dance groups during the San Sebastian carnival. The boilermakers dance in public on the first Saturday following Candlemas (February 2nd) and the wet nurses and shepherds appear on the Sunday. Around 50 couples coordinated by Kresala take part. On the Sunday morning, they go through the streets of the old part of San Sebastian and perform their dances in the Plaza de la Constitución.

This gizon-dantza or soka-dantza is dance in San Sebastian’s Plaza de la Constitución in the evening of June 23rd, St. John's Eve. It is performed by the Goizaldi dance group and following the techniques taught by Candido Pujana. A tree is placed in the middle of the square and set on fire. The St. John Dance is first performed and then between 12 and 14 couples dance the gizon-dantza led by the aurresku and atzesku. The soka-dantza is also danced in San Sebastian's Plaza de la Constitución during the Euskal Jaiak (Basque Festivities) that are held in September.

 

In San Sebastian’s Añorga neighbourhood, the aurresku is danced on July 16th to mark the festivities of Our Lady of El Carmen. After High Mass, the veteran dantzaris form the dance procession and two young dantzaris act as aurresku and atzesku. In 1926, José Lorenzo Pujana began to train the Añorga dantzaris and the aurresku is still danced in the same way as Pujana taught it all those years ago.

The soka-dantza is danced in San Sebastián’s Zubieta district and Usrubil on July 25th, the feast day of St. James, after High Mass, in the Errebote square.